11 Chinese citizens sent to jail on judicial remand

LAHORE: Chinese citizens facing charges of contracting fake marriage with Pakistani women and forcing them into prostitution after taking to China have approached Lahore High Court against alleged harassment caused by the FIA and the police.

The counsel for Lu Yaff and some other Chinese nationals argued before Justice Sardar Ahmad Naeem that his clients landed in Pakistan on valid business visas.

He said the petitioners were being harassed by the FIA and the police since the scam of fake marriages had been discovered. He said the agencies interrogated the petitioners and also confiscated their passports and mobile phones.

He asked the court to restrain the law enforcement agencies from causing harassment to the petitioners. A law officer opposed the petition and stated that the law of land was equal for locals and foreign nationals. He assured the court that Chinese citizens were not being harassed and the law enforcement agencies had been taking actions strictly in accordance with the law.

The judge disposed of the petition with an instruction to the FIA and the police to act in accordance with law. Hearing another petition filed by a woman, Justice Shahid Karim sought replies from the federal government and National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) about non-issuance of identity card with the name of her Chinese husband who also converted to Islam.

Asifa Shahzadi pleaded through her counsel that she married Chinese citizen Wang Fai and her husband was given Islamic name Abdul Rasheed. The petitioner said she applied to the Nadra for issuance of a fresh CNIC with fresh marital status and name of her husband.

However, she said the Nadra officials denied her new card putting objection on the documents of her husband. She asked the court to order the Nadra to issue her new CNIC with the name of her Chinese husband. The judge sought replies from the respondents within a week.

Meanwhile, a judicial magistrate on Monday sent eleven Chinese citizens to jail on judicial remand and directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to submit challan against them in case of contracting fake marriage with Pakistani women.

The investigating officer produced the Chinese before the court on expiry of their two-day physical remand and stated that further custody of the suspects was not required. He said there was no possibility of more disclosures or recovery by the suspects.

At this, magistrate Amir Raza Bittu sent the suspects to jail on judicial remand for 14 days directing the IO to ensure submission of the challan within the stipulated time under the law. The suspects include Hongfa Yang, Libing Liu, Bo Wang, Chuanjia Liu, Gongze He, Tianyyi Liu, Feng Xnu Yang, Chan yen, Song Guoqian, Liu and Wei Linping.

The FIA accused them of contracting fake marriages with Pakistani women with the help of local facilitators and forcing them into the prostitution after they started living in China. The agency also accused them of using Pakistani brides for illegal trade of human organs.

Meanwhile, a court of Judicial Magistrate on Monday sent 11 Chinese nationals and two Pakistanis to jail on 14-day judicial remand, accused of human trafficking and organ trade.

FIA officials produced the accused before the court of judicial magistrate Aamir Raza and submitted an investigation report. The FIA informed the court that the accused were involved in organized human trafficking.

The accused used to marry Pakistani girls through local agents and later forced them into prostitution, FIA added. The court after hearing FIA sent the accused to jail on judicial remand for 14 days.